The Bluegrass Painter

The Loft Shop Blog

Thanks to our friend Sue Arnson at The Loft Shop Blog for posting on our recent GCAC watercolor workshop.  Sue and her husband Alan are premier supporters of the arts in Garrett County, and are both artists as well.  Sue does a great job of posting all about the arts in this area, as well as providing interesting photos and vignettes from her travels and life. 

In and Around Pine Island

I'm sure that Pine Island, FL isn't for everyone. There is none of the high-rise glitz associated with both coasts. Rather, the lifestyle is typical of rural areas just about anywhere. It is very comfortable for your old Bluegrass Painter.

Connected by bridge to Pine Island is the small, eclectic community of Matlacha. Small, and colorful, Matlacha offers galleries, shops, restaurants, bars and boatyards. I did get to spend a little time here and do some small watercolor sketches of a boatyard. The next trip will devote a bit more time to this area.

There is a wealth of painting source in Matlacha... 

Sketches of Ireland

The bluegrass painter is stretching a bit...but not too much. The core of my painting inventory has been built for a great part on my passion for Appalachian music and things related to it....it is reflected in the various series on our website (appalachianstudio.com) and has been the base of our gallery exhibitions.

So much of our Appalachian heritage (and, consequently music) is rooted in the music of Ireland and Scotland. Consequently, adding some of my paintings that are based on sketches made in Ireland seems to be a natural step for the Bluegrass Painter. I currently have a series of paintings of Ireland that I continue to add-to These are watercolor sketches (about 9" X 12")  . At the same time, as time permits I'm using these sketches as a base for paintings of larger formats...both on conventional paper and on canvas. I'm going to use this blog to roll them out and I invite your comments...yea or nay.

This, The Last Rose of Summer, is the first of the series and is based on a session at a pub in Adare. I apologize to the owner and the local music shop owner who invited me to sit-in for a lapse in memory regarding names. It was a fun evening. One memorable moment was when one of the musicians asked me, "tell me friend, do ya know any Johnny Cash" from which point the session turned country and bluegrass. A real surprise for this yank.

Fun Night at the Sagebrush Round-up

John Martin and his band, Rough Creek Sessions, made their second trip to the Sagebrush Round-Up in Bunner's Ridge, WV, this past Saturday night. And, I thank John for letting me be a part of it. I always have a good time at this unique den of down home country music.

The Sagebrush Round-up is also home of the West Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame and presents a variety of country style entertainment. The featured band this past weekend was a group called Silverado from nearby Fairmont. Not anything close to bluegrass, their electrified country was an interesting counterpoint to John's more traditional style. It seemed like the audience enjoyed both.

 

John brought Val Drummond on resonator guitar and that added a real nice touch.

 

Cool Mandolin Company

Speaking of kids on the mandolin, at IBMA this past fall we met Laura Leder who told us about the Cool Mandolin Company.  The goal of Cool Mandolin Company is to both promote the mandolin and help to fund mandolin scholarship programs for young adults. They have a program called "Cool Mandolins for Kids" in which they receive new and used mandolins and put them in the hands of children who would like to learn. A lending program of sorts.  You can learn more about this venture at www.coolmandolin.com.

Kyle Ramey's New CD

Just got word from our good friends, the Ramey family, that mandolin prodigy Kyle has cut a CD and will have it at the SPBGMA gathering in Nashville coming up on February 13, 14 and 15. We first met Kyle two years ago at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville and were knocked out by the talent and stage presence of this little guy. Kyle, now a bigger guy at the ripe old age of 6, has continued to develop his skills and has been recognized and invited to sit-in with some of the biggest of bluegrass entertainers. If you get a chance to see Kyle in person, don't miss it. And buy a CD.  It could be a treasure.

Allegheny Drifters Album Reviewed in Bluegrass Unlimited

It was nice to see that our good friends, the Allegheny Drifters, had their latest CD release titled "Can't Wait" reviewed in the February issue of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Check out the write-up on page 46. These folks are real pro musicians and make some great harmonies.

Sad News

We join our friends in the bluegrass community in expressing our condolences to the Baldassari family over the passing of musician and general good guy, Butch Baldassari.  The Bluegrass Blog posts Thoughts on Butch providing heartfelt words from Butch's friends and peers.   

Western Maryland Luthier Roger Skipper

My picking friend Roger Skipper is the latest addition to our Friends and Neighbors page.  Roger is an interesting guy.  He is a fine luthier and recently launched a website for his business Skipper Custom Instruments.  In addition to crafting stringed instruments, he is a published author.  His novel Tear Down the Mountain:  An Appalachian Love Story is available on Amazon and he has two others in the works.  You can read more about Roger in this article from Mountain Discoveries magazine.

Congratulations Missy Raines

Congratulations to our friend Missy Raines.  The Compass Records Group announced the signing of Missy Raines this week.  Missy now fronts her own band, The New Hip.  Missy Raines and The New Hip will release their first full-length album, Inside Out, on Compass Records in February of 2009.  For more on Missy and her band visit www.missyraines.com.